Blackboard Good Design Guidelines

Blackboard module areas are websites and like most websites will benefit from consistency, clarity & brevity. The guidelines are based on web design & learning design good practice:

books Content

checkbox-unchecked-square_318-40919 Keep content up to date

Remove redundant items, such as old teaching material, as they can cause confusion for both students and colleagues. They also make it difficult to manage content and the Grade Centre.

unlock Ease of use

checkbox-unchecked-square_318-40919 Keep accessibility in mind

Ensure learning material is designed with accessibility in mind. Learning material should be produced to optimise access to all students. For example, images need text descriptions so that they can be understood by students with visual or certain other cognitive disabilities.

signpost Navigation

checkbox-unchecked-square_318-40919 Provide a logical structure

Blackboard Modules are based on standard templates. Some schools or courses have their own templates. It is recommended that you always use the agreed template to provide students with a consistent experience across their modules. This will help them easily locate items. A folder structure is recommended for learning material named by teaching week, unit or topic.

checkbox-unchecked-square_318-40919 Use links consistently

Be consistent in how you link to websites to create a consistent user experience and expectation. Use the default Web Link setting in Blackboard to ‘Open in New Window’.

diamond Clarity

checkbox-unchecked-square_318-40919 Label items clearly

Label items descriptively, but concisely and unambiguously. All items need names and descriptions that help students identify them, but, at the same time, need to be kept as concise as possible to help minimise the amount of text on the page.

checkbox-unchecked-square_318-40919 Provide explicit instructions

When you require students to do something there must be explicit instructions. You will not be there to clarify. It should always be clear what, how and when something needs doing. Instructions should be located with the item they refer to.

checkbox-unchecked-square_318-40919 Format text to aid scanning

Too much formatting with bold, colour, CAPITALS etc can have the opposite effect to what is intended, as it makes the screen too ‘busy’. Simplicity is key.